I happen to have quite the fondness for Scrabble.  Love playing it with friends and family, love collecting extra Scrabble tiles to turn into cute necklaces (so fun – Google those if you have never seen Scrabble necklaces!), and this year — had a blast turning my favorite gingerbread cookie dough into little gingerbread Scrabble pieces!!

Oh my word — these were too cute!  And completely delicious too.  (Perfect for if you, um, get stuck with that annoying letter Z and need it to “disappear” before your next turn!)

So read on for a simple tutorial on bringing together a favorite recipe and a favorite game.  Fun!

Gingerbread Scrabble Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• gingerbread cookie dough
• royal icing (here is a great tutorial)
• edible black marker (such as these or these)
  

Method:

Heat oven to 350F.

Prepare the gingerbread cookie dough.  Once it is ready, place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. (Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies if needed.)

Using a knife or a pizza cutter, carefully cut the dough to make a grid of Scrabble tiles.  You can be as precise about this as you would like.  (Mine were not that precise!)  Actual Scrabble tiles measure 2 cm x 1.5 cm, so if you want to be exact, I would size them 1/2 cm smaller, knowing that they will expand slightly when cooked.  In American Scrabble, there are traditionally 100 tiles.  See the tip below for the letter and points distribution.

Once you have your desired amount of “tiles”, lay them out on a cookie sheet at least 1″ apart, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare your Royal icing according to directions, and carefully make a strong border around the outside of each tile.  Then fill with the slighly diluted icing.  Use an edible marker to write a letter and point value on each “tile”.

Then use them to play, eat, and enjoy!!

Ali’s Tip:

Apparently Scrabble has different configurations with letters and point values in different countries.  But these are the letter distributions and point values for “American Scrabble”.  (The tiny “×12” numbers represent how many tiles there are of that specific letter.)

• 2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
• 1 point: E ×12, A ×9, I ×9, O ×8, N ×6, R ×6, T ×6, L ×4, S ×4, U ×4
• 2 points: D ×4, G ×3
• 3 points: B ×2, C ×2, M ×2, P ×2
• 4 points: F ×2, H ×2, V ×2, W ×2, Y ×2
• 5 points: K ×1
• 8 points: J ×1, X ×1
• 10 points: Q ×1, Z ×1

As holiday baking season draws to a close, thought it would only be appropriate to post the recipe for one of my all-time favorites — classic gingerbread cookies!!

I know there are about a zillion different ways to make gingerbread cookies, but this recipe is a tribute to how we always made them growing up.  They are just slightly chewy, spiced but not too spiced, and perfect for rolling out and cutting into whatever fun shapes you choose.

This year I experimented with a few other fun “shape” options (watch for more gingerbread cookie posts to come soon!).  But here are a few Christmas classics, decorated with some simple Royal icing.  Always fun and delicious!

Look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.  :)

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
(Slightly adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• optional: red hots, sprinkles, icing

Method:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (You may need to work it with your hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter to cut into desired shapes. Press candy pieces in the center of each cookie if desired for “buttons”.

Transfer to ungreased baking sheets.  Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

This yielded at least 45 cookies (about 3-4″ long) for me.

Ali’s Tip:

If your cookie cutters are sticking, just dip the edges in a little flour before cutting out your cookies.

I love Andes mints.  Ever since I was a kid and was first introduced to them by my grandparents (who always had a stash waiting for me in their candy drawer!), to now as an adult somehow always finding a bag of their baking chips mysteriously appearing in my shopping cart….I absolutely love these little chocolate mints!

So when I recently saw this recipe for “Chocolate Mint Puddles” here and here, which features an entire delicious mint per cookie, I figured these would be right up my ally.  So I whipped up my first batch this week for the Kansas City Food Bloggers’ Cookie Exchange.   (Although I admit I realized as they were in the oven that it might not have been the best idea to test out a brand new recipe on a group of food bloggers – eeks.)  But thankfully they ended up being a total success!!

Favorite part?  Definitely the “puddle”-making.  Loved swirling the melted mints into cute designs.  (This would be a great project for kids in the kitchen!)

Not-so-favorite part?  The process for making the cookies, which involved melting chocolate and refrigerating the dough for an hour before cooking.  They still tasted great, but I think next time I’ll make the cookies with this simpler dough recipe.

Still, a wonderful cookie for anyone who loves Andes!  I will definitely be making these again very soon.  :)

Chocolate Mint Puddles Recipe
(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 (4.5 oz) packages Andes mints

Method:

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with sugar and water, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, mixing until melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before pouring chocolate into a bowl and beating in eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll cookie dough into small balls and place on cookie sheets, approximately 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing cookie sheet from oven, press a mint into each cookie and allow to sit for one minute, melting slightly. (If the mints don’t melt enough — as mine didn’t — feel free to pop the cookies with the mints on top back in the oven for an extra 30 seconds to soften the chocolate.)

Then, using a toothpick, swirl the melted mint to make a pattern. Allow to cool before serving.

Ali’s Tip:

The small Andes baking chips (rather than the full-size Andes mints) would also work with well with this!  Just add 1 teaspoon of the baking chips to the center of each cookie.

Last night one of my friends served us one of her fall favorites — snickerdoodles!!  Which made me realize it has been at least a year since I’ve made some!  This should not be so…  :)

So this morning I woke up early to whip up a batch to bring to all of my singers at rehearsal tonight.  But as I was making the dough, it hit me – why not toss in some apples and make…appledoodles?!?  So before popping them in the oven, I mixed some diced apples into the dough (although I would recommend dicing them slightly smaller than I did today), rolled them in that classic cinnamon-sugary goodness, and voila — a new favorite cookie!

I don’t know why I never thought of this before.  They’ve very simple — all of the deliciousness of snickerdoodles, with a few bursts of apples mixed in.  And I must say, the snickerdoodle recipe I based them on is a favorite — wonderfully chewy, without using shortening or cream of tartar.  My kind of cookie.  :)

Couldn’t think of a yummier way to get my “apple a day”!

Appledoodles Recipe
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:

Cookie Ingredients:

• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white, granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced small (about 1/4-inch cubes)

Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
  3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed until it’s soft, smooth and light.

Add both of the sugars to the creamed butter and mix until they are fully incorporated, and lighter in color.  Stirring vigorously, add the egg to the mixture and beat until the batter looks uniform.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Then slowly fold into the batter until just combined.  Then add in diced apples, and gently fold them by hand into the batter until well-distributed.

Form balls of dough (I used a cookie scooper) and plop them in cinnamon sugar, swirling to coat.  On a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet, place the dough balls 3 inches apart.  Use your fingers to press and flatten the dough slightly and sprinkle an extra pinch of cinnamon sugar on the flattened surface.

Set the first timer for 7 minutes. Turn the pan around and set a second timer for 7 minutes. If you are using a greased pan they might be done at this point, or need another minute. If you’re using parchment, cookies will take 2-3 minutes more. You are looking for golden edges and a blonde middle.

Cool on a baking sheet and enjoy. Snickerdoodles will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature for 3 days, but they are best eaten the day they’re made.

Makes 30-40 cookies.

Ali’s Tip:

As far back as I can remember, my dad has been known amongst all of our family and friends for his famous specialty: chocolate chip cookies.

As kids, my sister and I delighted in licking the beaters.  As teenagers, we always begged him to make a batch when friends came over.  As college students, we loved receiving fun care packages in the mail with a plateful inside.  And now as adults living hours away, my sister and I find ourselves making our own batches to pass on the deliciousness.  :-)

These cookies pretty much rock.  They’re chewy, full of flavor (lots of vanilla), and overflowing with classic semisweet chocolate chips.  The original recipe called for a mixture of butter and shortening (2/3 cup of each – which resulted in an even more fabulously chewy cookie!), but we modified a few years ago to pass on the trans-fats and now it’s all buttah.

Still, these are my favorite chocolate chip cookie.  Love them fresh out of the oven, packed away for lunch, or even frozen!  (Yes, learned that one from my grandma, who always kept a freezer in her basement packed with “chip chocolates” — they’re actually really good!)

So if you’re looking for a solid CCC recipe, give this a try!  Be sure to read the tip below too.  Enjoy!!

Dad’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From…yep…my dad!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (mini, regular, or chocolate chunks!)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Ali’s Tip:

To avoid having flat cookies (with this or other recipes), be sure that the dough you pop in the oven is pretty chilled.  So when you’re mixing these up initially, I’d recommend letting the prepared dough sit in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before baking your first batch.

Chocolate…  Oatmeal…  Peanut butter…  (A little more butter…)  And no oven required.

Seriously, what’s not to love?!?

Ha…ok, I know these cookies won’t win any low-cal awards.  But when the cookie craving hits, and especially when I’m short on time, these classic no-bakes have long been a favorite treat.  They are uber-easy to whip up, and never fail to please a crowd.  I’ve included some ideas for extra add-ins below, but otherwise, I’m a big fan of the traditional recipe that’s been passed around for years.

Enjoy!!

No Bake Cookies Recipe
(From my Mom)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups quick oats

Method:

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.  Then add milk, sugar, and cocoa and stir to combine while bringing to a boil.  Boil for 1-2 minutes, then remove pan from heat.  Stir in vanilla and peanut butter, until melted.  Stir in oats.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper, and let cool until hardened.

Ali’s Tip:

Once you stir in the oats, the cookies go from gooey to set up pretty quickly.  So I’d recommend prepping your wax paper beforehand (or while your butter is melting!).

Also, some other fun mix-ins (while you stir in the oats) might be:

• shredded coconut
• peanuts
• chopped almonds or walnuts

For some reason, my neighborhood grocery store decided to place their Easter candy aisle this year smack in the middle of….the produce section.

Surprising?  Yes.  Brilliant marketing?  I’m beginning to think so.  :)

Needless to say, somehow I came home with an assortment of gorgeous little fruity and chocolate eggs.  But rather than just sit in a candy bowl (where they’re certain to disappear instantly at our house), I decided to get a tiny bit crafty and whip up some of my favorite no-bake cookies to go with them.

Commonly known as “haystacks” (in the fall) or “birds’ nests” (in the spring), these little cookies have been a favorite ever since I was a kid.  With just four ingredients (or five if you count the chocolate), they’re guaranteed to be super easy, super sweet, and SUPER delicious!  They’re a great project as well for kids, since they don’t need to go in the oven, and they’re fun to mix up.

But just know — if you love butterscotch, it’s nearly impossible to have just one!  :)

Butterscotch Birds’ Nests (or “Haystacks”) Recipe
(From my Mom)

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz.) bag butterscotch chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 oz. chow mein noodles
• candy eggs, for decor (optional)

Method:

Line a cookie sheet (or two) with waxed paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, carefully heat the chocolate chips until they are melted.  (I generally microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  And then continue heating/stirring in 10-20 second intervals until the chips are melted.  Be careful that they do not burn!)

Then stir in the peanut butter, and mix until it is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Add the chow mein noodles and marshmallows and continue stirring until everything is evenly coated.

Drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper.  Let cool until they are hardened.

**If you are wanting to make the birds nests, carefully press down the center of the cookies as soon as you drop them onto the wax paper.  And then gently lay your candy eggs in the center.  Let cool until they are hardened.**

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to add in any nuts and/or coconut to these cookies too.  They also taste great made with melted white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips as well!

I kind of have an obsession with limes.  Love them in my food.  Love them in my water (yes – some like lemons, I like limes).  And now…love them in my cookies!!

Holy cow.  Was introduced to these cookies by a friend’s mom a few months ago, and immediately went home to try and research a similar recipe.  But unfortunately…nada.

So when we crossed paths again this week, I was stoked to come home with a copy of the recipe!  Made them the next day, and fell in love once again.  They are such a delight!!!  Light.  Buttery.  Coconut-y.  And lime-a-licious.  :)

Look out.  These ones definitely are addictive!

Coconut-Lime Shortbread Cookies
(From a friend)

Ingredients:

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lime peel
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

Lime Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. lime peel
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. water

Method:

To Make Cookies:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a food processor, combine coconut, sugar, 2 tablespoons lime peel, and the vanilla.  Cover and process until coconut is finely chopped.  Add flour; cover and process for one or two pulses until combined.  Add butter; cover and process until mixture starts to cling.  Transfer to a very large bowl (dough will appear dry).  Knead dough until smooth.  Shape dough into a ball; divide in half.  (***See tip below if too dry.***)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough portions to about 1/4″ thickness.  Using desired 1.5″ to 2″ cookie cutters, cut out dough.  Place cutouts 1″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or just until bottoms start to brown.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.  Repeat with the remaining dough portion.  If desired spread tops of cookies with the lime glaze and sprinkle with additional lime peel.

To Make Lime Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lime peel, and lime juice until combined.  Add in the two or three tablespoons of water, and whisk until it reaches a good consistency for spreading.

Ali’s Tip:

The dough for these should be pretty dry, but still wet enough to hold together when rolled out.  If yours is by chance a little too dry, add in a half teaspoon or so of water or…even better…lime juice!

I have to confess…

As much as I love making homemade cookies entirely from scratch (which is what I do about 95% of the time), on occasion I still seriously enjoy a good cake-mix cookie.  I know…judge away…  :)  But hey – they’re simple, wonderfully fluffy, and can be mixed up in just three minutes.  Definitely a nice back-up dessert, especially when you’re short on time!

One of my favorites, that is also most requested from friends, are these simple lemon cookies.  They’re made with a basic cake mix recipe, but kicked up a notch with some fresh lemon juice and peel – yum.  Feel free to roll them in sugar, glaze them (as explained in the tip below), or just cook and eat them plain.  I guarantee they won’t last long.  :)

Easy Lemon Cookies Recipe
(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• juice of half a lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
• zest of half a lemon (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar for decor (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest until well blended. Form dough into small balls (about 1 Tbsp.), and drop into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

**To get a rounder, fluffier cookie, let the dough refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  (You can also prepare the sugared balls of dough on the cookie sheet, and just refrigerate the sheet for about ten minutes for a similar effect.)

Ali’s Tip:

For a fun variation, I’ve also drizzled these with a lemon glaze (instead of rolling in the powdered sugar).  Just whisk together about 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or water) with 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and then drizzle it over the cookies after they have come out of the oven.  Let sit for an hour or so for the glaze to firm up.

I’ve been on a quest these last few years to find my absolute favorite go-to recipes for some classic cookies.  And while I was successful pretty quickly with many others, the perfect chocolate chocolate chip cookie (or “double chocolate”) seemed to elude me.  The closest recipe I’d actually found used a chocolate cake mix, but I was wanting something truly homemade.  AND, I didn’t want to melt chocolate.  (Still, in my opinion, too much work for a cookie.)  And, I wanted something chewy.  And of course, super chocolate-y.  :)

As you might guess since I’m posting, I’m pleased to announce…success!!!

Behold…my new favorite chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Found it (of all places) at AllRecipes.  Fabulous flavor, nice chewy texture, and uses nice, convenient, takes-2-seconds-to-scoop-out cocoa powder.  My kind of cookie.  :)

Bookmark it.  Try it.  Love it.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or dark chocolate cocoa powder)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ali’s Tip:

This recipe is a fantastic base for substituting in other chips as well!  Some of my favorites include:

• dark chocolate chips
• white chocolate chips
• Heath toffee chips
• Andes mint chips
• white chocolate chips
• peanut butter chips
• butterscotch chips